Education Chapter 14

After studying this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Describe the manifest and latent functions of education. Explain the nature of education from the conflict theory view. Explain the causes and effects of racial segregation in the public schools. Identify issues related to students who speak English as a second language. Discuss the extent to which high-school dropouts are a social problem. Discuss the issue of standardized testing.

Education Lester Frank Ward, the first president of the American Sociological Society believed: The main purpose of education was to equalize society. The source of inequality was the unequal distribution of knowledge. The main purpose of education was to equalize society by diffusing knowledge to all.

Functionalists Conflict theorists Stress the importance of education in socializing the young, transmitting the culture, and developing skills. Conflict theorists Note that education preserves social class distinctions, maintains social control, and promotes inequality.

Education: A Functionalist View What social needs does our education system meet? What are its tasks and goals?

Education has several manifest and Latent functions Socialization Cultural Transmission Academic Skills Innovation Child Care Postponing Job Hunting

Socialization There is a need for the formal educational system to extend the socialization process that starts in the family

Cultural Transmission Major portions of society’s knowledge are passed from one generation to the next.

Academic Skills What are some academic skills that children pick up in school?

Innovation Primary task of educational institutions is to transmit society’s knowledge, and part of that knowledge consists of the means by which new knowledge is to be sought. Learning how to think independently and creatively is probably one of the most valuable tools the educational institution can transmit.

Child Care One latent function of many public schools is to provide child care outside the nuclear family.

Postponing Job Hunting More and more young American adults are choosing to continue their education after graduating from high school.

Adults Age 25 and Older with High School and Bachelor’s Degree 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 24.5 34.3 41.1 52.3 66.5 75.2 80.4 84.5 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 4.6 6.2 7.7 10.7 16.2 20.3 24.4 27.5

The Conflict Theory View Social Control Screening and Allocation: Tracking The Credentialized Society

Social Control This has led conflict theorists and others to conclude that the most important lessons learned in school are not those listed in the formal curriculum but, rather, involve a hidden curriculum.

The hidden curriculum refers to the social attitudes and values taught in school that prepare children to accept the requirements of adult life and to fit into the social, political, and economic statuses the society provides.

Screening and Allocation: Tracking If the purpose of education is educate and train why do screening and tracking exist? What is your opinion about college entrance exams? The most common argument against tracking notes that tracking fosters race and class segregation.

The most common argument against tracking notes that tracking fosters race and class segregation. Do you agree?

The Credentialized Society A degree or certificate has become necessary to perform a vast variety of jobs. credential may not necessarily cause the recipient to perform the job better.

Issues in American Education Unequal Access to Education Students Who Speak English as a Second Language High-School Dropouts Violence in the Schools Home Schooling Standardized Testing Gender Bias in the Classroom The Gifted

Unequal Access to Education Browns VS the Board of Education Financial Aide

Students Who Speak English as a Second Language The Department of Education reports that 6.3 million children aged 5 to 17, or 14%, speak a language other than English at home. Another 3.2 million elementary and secondary school students are classified as having limited English proficiency.

High-School Dropouts Dropping out of high school affects not only those who leave school, but also society in general, due to the following reasons: Dropouts pay less in taxes, because of their lower earnings Dropouts increase the demand for social services including welfare, medical assistance, and unemployment compensation. Dropouts are less likely to vote. Dropouts have poorer health. Half of all state prison inmates did not complete high school.

Median Income by Education Level Male Female High School Dropout $27,180 $20,341 High School $37,632 $27,477 Some College or Associate’s Degree $46,562 $34,745 Bachelor’s Degree $65,011 $47,333 Advanced Degree $88,840 $61,228

Violence in the Schools Eighteen percent of students in grades 9–12 in 2007 reported they had carried a weapon anywhere, and 6 percent reported they had carried a weapon on school property during the previous 30 days

Home Schooling Do you believe that children who are home schooled receive the same quality of education as those who attend school?

There are three main reasons why parents choose to home school : Concerned about the school environment Provide religious or moral instruction Others are dissatisfied with the academic instruction available at the available schools

Standardized Testing Much criticism has been leveled at standardized tests. The testing services say the tests merely try to chart, scientifically and objectively, different levels of mental achievement and aptitude. The critics assert that the tests are invalid academically and biased against minorities.

Average SAT Scores, 1995-2005 Year Math V erbal Writing 1995 506 504 1996 508 505 1997 511 1998 512 1999 2000 514 2001 2002 516 2003 519 507 2004 518 2008 520 2006 503 497 2007 515 502 494

Gender Bias in the Classroom Who is at greater risk of failing in our schools these days—girls or boys ?

The Gifted Ellen Winner (1996) has proposed that gifted children have three atypical traits Precociousness-–gifted children begin early to master some domain Nonconformity, an insistence on doing things according to their own specific rules A rage to master, or a desire to know everything there is to know about a subject.